This year's expenditure of the Niederrhein Start-up Week will take place from November 18 to 24. The Hochschule Niederrhein's HNX team will be taking part with a number of events at the Krefeld campus.
An expert in Health Care, who is now setting up her own business thanks to the 2023 Start-up Week, and the founder of a software and AI start-up, who will be on stage himself this time: that's how diverse successful start-up stories are in the Niederrhein start-up region. At the press conference for this year's event week, Simone Blum-Scheibe and Enver Yilmaz called on other people interested in founding a company to take advantage of the numerous free offers.
Ultimately, says Simone Blum-Scheibe, her path to self-employment began with the 2023 Start-up Week. "That was the first time I realized how many opportunities there are to get help," says the founder of a healthcare center for nursing care. And she did: at The Hochschule Niederrhein, at Krefeld Business, at other consulting and coaching services offered by the "Gründungsregion Niederrhein", the regional association of numerous institutions for the promotion of start-ups and start-ups, docked at the IHK Mittlerer Niederrhein. She went to events, networked with other people wanting to set up their own business - and finally took the plunge. Incidentally, this was after 20 years of professional experience in workplace health promotion and with the business idea of doing something for those who essentially support the healthcare system: the nursing staff.
"Specifically, I offer holistic, health-promoting support for nursing staff. There are targeted health offers to impart knowledge and coaching sessions to strengthen their own health awareness. The special thing about it is the use of VR technology" - this is how Blum-Scheibe presented her concept today at the press conference for Start-up Week 2024 (November 18 to 24). The first project revolves around relaxing and regenerating breaks in everyday care work. "As it all started for me with the start-up week, I will definitely be attending many events again this year and can only advise other people interested in setting up a business to take advantage of the many free offers."
Founder Enver Yilmaz will also be present at several events - albeit mostly as a speaker. His start-up Demtek, a software agency, was founded two and a half years ago and has developed rapidly since then. Starting out as a small three-man UG in Yilmaz's home town of Jüchen, which developed a software-as-a-service solution for coronavirus test centers, Demtek is now a successful GmbH with its own offices in Mönchengladbach that has grown significantly in terms of personnel and focuses on tailor-made AI developments and individual software solutions for companies. Yilmaz and his team have also received a lot of support along the way. It started with workspaces in the former NEW blue forge, followed by the NRW start-up grant, among other things, and finally Marketing-Gesellschaft Mönchengladbach (MGMG) and Wirtschaftsförderung Mönchengladbach (WFMG) were able to help make the next growth step into their own office possible to some extent with free temporary workspaces. During the start-up week, Enver Yilmaz will be on hand to offer advice, support and experience to others who are considering the step into self-employment.
For several years now, numerous providers in the region have been joining forces under the umbrella of "Gründungsregion Niederrhein" to put on an extensive, free program of events and workshops during "Gründungswoche Niederrhein". The spectrum ranges from classic start-up projects in the service or retail sectors to succession solutions in the skilled trades sector and tech start-ups - and the offerings are correspondingly wide-ranging from Mönchengladbach to Krefeld to Kleve and from the district of Viersen to the Rhine district of Neuss. The week is organized by the Mönchengladbach Economic Development Agency in close cooperation with the other main sponsors IHK Mittlerer Niederrhein and Krefeld Business. Other sponsors include Stadtsparkasse Mönchengladbach, Sparkasse Krefeld, The Hochschule Niederrhein, the City of Viersen, the Viersen District Economic Development Agency, nextMG e.V. and Marketing Gesellschaft Mönchengladbach. Many partners, some of whom have been involved for many years, will once again be offering digital or face-to-face events, including The Hochschule Niederrhein, BVMW, Digihub Düsseldorf/Rheinland, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Gewächshaus Academy and S-UBG. AOK Rheinland/Hamburg is one of the new participants. Networking and stage events will be offered on several evenings of the start-up week, including a "TexTech Startup Night", a "Fuckup Night" with "Stories of Failure", a regional start-up round table at The Hochschule Niederrhein in Krefeld, a "Long Night of the Business Plan" in the Rhine district of Neuss and the aforementioned "Mittelstandsarena".
"As Sparkasse Mönchengladbach, it is a matter close to our hearts to encourage people in the region to realize their professional dreams and take the plunge into self-employment," says Dirk Peters from the Corporate Clients department. "That's why we are delighted to be involved in the start-up week. At our 'Mood zur Gründung' event, two successful start-ups from Mönchengladbach will provide insights into how they mastered the hurdles on their way to self-employment, and guests will learn from the experts at the Gründungsfabrik and Wirtschaftsjunioren what really matters when setting up a business."
"As Sparkasse Krefeld, we are closely connected to the people and the economy in our region. Our bank is happy to motivate, encourage and support founders with their ideas. Together, we find tailor-made solutions to enable a successful start and good development," says Michael Buchmann, Head of Commercial Customers. "The Lower Rhine Start-up Week is a wonderful format that offers a wide range of perspectives and expertise to people interested in setting up a business. We are proud to be a part of it."
The Hochschule Niederrhein's offer as part of the Start-up Week:
- November 18, 2024, 14:00 - 17:00 - Lego® Serious Play® Workshop - HNX - Start-up Consulting of The Hochschule Niederrhein - Krefeld South Campus
- November 20, 2024, 17:00 - 18:30 - HNX FUN: 3rd FuckUpNight@HSNR edition 2024 - Shedhalle; Campus Krefeld West
- November 20, 2024, 18:30 - 21:30 - Stammtisch Gründungsregion Niederrhein - Shedhalle; Campus Krefeld West
- November 21, 2024, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Start-up game evening workshop - Krefeld South Campus
Further information on the Lower Rhine Start-up Week and the complete program of events can be found at www.gruendungsregion-niederrhein.de
as well as on social media:
www.linkedin.com/company/gruendungsregion-niederrhein
www.facebook.com/GruendungsregionNiederrhein
www.instagram.com/gruendungsregionniederrhein
